


The Interim CEO

by realityisoverrated



Series: Infinite Love [88]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Polyamory, Polyfidelity, Smoaking billionaires, Toliver, flommy, olicity - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-18
Updated: 2017-02-18
Packaged: 2018-09-25 06:08:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9806579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/realityisoverrated/pseuds/realityisoverrated
Summary: Thea Queen has been kidnapped by Slade Wilson. Isabel Rochev has called the QC board to a meeting for a vote of no-confidence against Oliver Queen. All that stands between the Queen legacy and absolute ruin is Tommy Merlyn. Isabel will quickly realize that Tommy is Malcolm Merlyn's son.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This story depicts a polyamorous relationship between one woman and two men. If this is not something you are interested in, please stop and go no further. 
> 
> This installment is set in the very early stages of our favorite triad's relationship. Slade Wilson has put their romance on hold and Isabel is making life increasingly difficult for Oliver.
> 
> Thank you, readers, for your continued support of this series. I'm touched so many of you have chosen to stick with this series.
> 
> I'm not telling this series in chronological order. Some readers have requested that I provide a chronological order for the fics in the series. There is no need to read them in chronological order, but in case you'd like to, the list is below. This installment is 7/88. (There is a known issue at AO3. If viewing the stories from the series page, the story numbers aren't always correct. The story number when you open the individual stories is correct).  
> 1\. Beautiful Stranger (Part 28)  
> 2\. The Hack of the Golden Dragon (Part 36)  
> 3\. Girl Wednesday (Part 41)  
> 4\. This Time Last Year (Part 44)  
> 5\. We’ve Got Tonight (Part 85)  
> 6\. The First Time (Part 1)  
> 7\. The Interim CEO (Part 88)  
> 8\. Aloe and Chamomile (Part 40)  
> 9\. The Italian Restaurant (Part 3)  
> 10\. Ground Rules (Part 43)  
> 11\. Do The Hustle (Part 21)  
> 12\. The Secret Ingredient (Part 65)  
> 13\. Wherever You Are, There I Am (Part 8)  
> 14\. Perfect (Part 16)  
> 15\. Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (Part 49)  
> 16\. Practical Jokes and Other Misunderstandings (Part 14)  
> 17\. Cobble Hill (Part 4)  
> 18\. The Sunnybrook (Part 51)  
> 19\. House Warming (Part 15)  
> 20\. 30 (Part 30)  
> 21\. Hong Kong (Part 35)  
> 22\. Twenty Questions Over Brunch (Part 11)  
> 23\. When A Kiss Is Not A Kiss (Part 86)  
> 24\. Hildy (Part 5)  
> 25\. Burgers & Lies (Part 9)  
> 26\. You Say You Want A Revolution (Part 22)  
> 27\. Unexpected Gifts (Part 70)  
> 28\. Look Me In The Eye And Make Me Feel The Truth (Part 12)  
> 29\. Fight Night (Part 20)  
> 30\. Fear and Loathing (Part 42)  
> 31\. With The Band (Part 53)  
> 32\. The Scarecrow (Part 59)  
> 33\. An Island Of His Own Making (Part 74)  
> 34\. Pas de Deux (Part 75)  
> 35\. Take It Back (Part 76)  
> 36\. Into Thin Air (Part 17)  
> 37\. Haunted (Part 58)  
> 38\. It Sings To Me (Part 84)  
> 39\. It’s Just Like Falling (Part 27)  
> 40\. Will You Still Love Me, Tomorrow? (Part 7)  
> 41\. Life With The Arrow (Part 23)  
> 42\. Up All Night (Part 6)  
> 43\. Welcome Home (Part 10)  
> 44\. Deadshot (Part 62)  
> 45\. Better Than Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes (Part 24)  
> 46\. The Right To Remain Silent (Part 61)  
> 47\. Home Is Where You Are (Part 2)  
> 48\. Somebody Get A Hammer (Part 26)  
> 49\. Tush Push (Part 48)  
> 50\. Elves (Part 68)  
> 51\. Three (Part 13)  
> 52\. Life Lived In The Tabloids (Part 18)  
> 53\. Tokyo Calling (Part 25)  
> 54\. Something Blue (Part 39)  
> 55\. I Do. I Do. I Do. (Part 82)  
> 56\. Prudence Chastity (Part 19)  
> 57\. Love Is Worth It In The End (Part 33)  
> 58\. The Mini (Part 38)  
> 59\. The Hall of Fame (Part 46)  
> 60\. A Name By Any Other (Part 47)  
> 61\. The Drop Out (Part 32)  
> 62\. Homework (Part 64)  
> 63\. Count Your Blessings (Part 71)  
> 64\. William (Part 29)  
> 65\. Hold On For One More Day (Part 31)  
> 66\. I Have No Gifts To Bring (Part 72)  
> 67\. Yours, Mine, Ours (Part 37)  
> 68\. Rules Are Made To Be Broken (Part 55)  
> 69\. The Forty-Year-Old Graduate (Part 78)  
> 70\. Take Me Out To The Ballgame (Part 83)  
> 71\. Hope Is Believing In The Light When All You See Is Darkness (Part 52)  
> 72\. Emma (Part 77)  
> 73\. Open Up And Say Ah (Part 60)  
> 74\. Tommy Merlyn’s No Good, Very Bad, Terrible Day (Part 81)  
> 75\. I Would Not Trade What Might Have Been For What Is (Part 50)  
> 76\. Brothers (Part 45)  
> 77\. Saturdays With The Green Arrow (Part 34)  
> 78\. True Love (Part 87)  
> 79\. Hallelujah (Part 69)  
> 80\. The Green Arrow Did It (Part 73)  
> 81\. Strawberry Milkshake With A Side Of Why (Part 56)  
> 82\. All About The Jeans (Part 54)  
> 83\. A Bunny For Prue (Part 63)  
> 84\. Day 107 (Part 67)  
> 85\. Boys Who Kiss Boys Who Kiss Girls Who Kiss Boys Who Kiss Boys (Part 57)  
> 86\. Scars (Part 79)  
> 87\. Tummy Aches and Heart Aches (Part 66)  
> 88\. Gut Punch (Part 80)
> 
> Welcome to any new readers who have stumbled into this universe. The more the merrier.
> 
> Arrow and its characters do not belong to me.

Artwork by ligiapimenta

 

Starling City was magnificent on a clear night. The lights of the city sparkled and reflected in the bay. The city looked peaceful and clean. It was hard to believe that anything bad could happen in a city so beautiful. It was easy to pretend that the dark patch in the Glades was another park, full of green space, and not lethal destruction. It was easy to believe that a vigilante didn’t stalk her streets hunting those that preyed on the vulnerable. It was easy to imagine Thea laughing with her friends instead of being terrified and at the mercy of a madman.

“Where are you?” Tommy pleaded softly as he looked out Oliver’s office window. Thea was somewhere out amongst the lights. His eyes were most likely sweeping over her and it made him feel like he was failing her. She was out there, scared, possibly hurt and wondering where Oliver and Tommy were. He knew Oliver was the best equipped to find Thea and he wouldn’t rest until he brought her home, but Tommy just wished he was out looking for their sister too.

He still couldn’t believe that Thea was his actual sister. It was a dream come true and his worst nightmare rolled into one. He had always considered Ollie’s little sister his from the moment he first saw her when he was ten. Tommy could still remember sitting on the sofa and Moira placing Thea in his arms. He’d felt an instant connection to her that now made him wonder if he’d always known she was part of him. He hated that Malcolm was her father. She deserved Robert for a father. Robert had loved Thea and treated her the way a child should be treated. Tommy didn’t want Thea to lose Robert in order to gain him for a brother. Tommy had agreed with Oliver that Thea could never know the truth. He could live with her not knowing that she was his sister because knowing the truth hadn’t changed a thing about how he felt about Thea. Tommy was certain that Thea’s feelings for him wouldn’t change if she knew the truth.

He drifted over to Felicity’s area and poured himself another cup of coffee. It was almost dawn and he was still preparing for the board meeting at nine. His suit was hanging in the executive washroom. He’d need to shower and shave before he squared off with Isabel and the voting members she’d stacked the deck with. Robert’s legacy for Oliver and Thea was in Tommy’s hands and he refused to be the Merlyn that finally destroyed the Queens. They were his family and he was going to draw on every shrewd and calculating move his father had ever taught him. Malcolm might’ve been a terrible father, but he’d been an excellent businessman.

Tommy had been slowly purchasing shares in QC, but until he had access to his full trust fund at thirty, he couldn’t buy enough shares to be helpful to Oliver. He’d gone as far as speaking with his attorneys on accessing his complete trust before his thirtieth, but he was told his quest would be costly and futile. He was told to be patient since his birthday was less than a year away. He just hoped it wouldn’t be too late.

Tommy returned to Oliver’s desk and sipped his coffee as he read the most recent earnings report. The fallout from the Undertaking was still impacting the bottom line. He pulled out the portfolio of Applied Science projects that were nearing completion and looking to be marketed. There had to be something that he could spin into gold that would convince the board to back off and give Oliver more time.

The elevator doors opening had him lifting his head. Very few people had access to Oliver’s floor. The sound of clicking heels, put a smile on his face. Felicity was probably checking to see if he was still awake. His cell buzzed with a text from Felicity informing him that they’d found where Thea had been held, but she was no longer at the location. Oliver hadn’t found any leads.

Realizing that the heels couldn’t belong to Felicity, he looked up from his phone to find Isabel Rochev sashaying into his office with a seductive smile on her face. She looked well rested and groomed and her appearance gave no indication that it was four in the morning. Isabel exuded danger. The hairs on the back of Tommy’s neck stood on end, “Good morning, Ms. Rochev. You’re in early. May I help you with something?”

“Please, call me, Isabel,” she said coyly as she crossed the office with an exaggerated sway to her hips. “I’m going to call you, Thomas. Tommy is a boy’s name,” she sat on the edge of Oliver’s desk and crossed her legs. The slit of her dress opened to reveal her long lean leg and a black garter belt. She ran the toe of her shoe up his leg and between his thighs, “You look all man to me, Thomas.”

Tommy was slightly offended that Isabel thought he’d be that easy to seduce. It had been nearly four years since Tommy had been willing to sleep with whichever girl was willing to share a night of no strings attached sex. He carefully schooled his features. He wanted to laugh. The woman had all the subtlety of an elephant in a tutu. It didn’t take spending more than a few moments with Isabel to understand why Felicity disliked her so much. He pushed back and rose from his chair, “That’s what my birth certificate says. All male.”

He smiled flirtatiously as he reached behind her and shut off the monitor. He closed all the open folders on Oliver’s desk. He wouldn’t put it past her to be there to plant a bug or take photographs. There was nothing quite like a little corporate espionage before dawn. “I think we’d be more comfortable sitting over here,” Tommy moved towards Oliver’s sitting area.

Isabel sat down and Tommy sat across from her. He wanted to keep as much distance between him and the viper as possible. He gave her his easy grin, “What can I do for you?

“It’s what I can do for you, Thomas,” she smiled toothily at him. “Is there anything I can help you with? Maybe I can help take some of the pressure off,” she offered as she stared at his crotch.

Tommy couldn’t help but check to confirm what he already knew. His entire body was wary of the woman. He didn’t know what she was looking at, but it wasn’t anything in need of relief.

She leaned forward, revealing her lacy black bra, “I imagine this is a bit more complicated than running a club. Oliver still struggles with the transition from party boy to CEO.”

Tommy looked around the office with wide-eyed innocence, “You know, you’re right. This is a lot different than running a club.” He grinned good naturedly, “I’m glad you pointed it out. I might’ve made a fool of myself when I asked the board who wanted to do body shots.”

Isabel laughed, “I can see why everyone calls you the fun one.”

“I always thought I was the cute one,” he winked.

Isabel looked down and tucked her hair behind her ear. When she looked up, her eye lashes fluttered, “That too.”

Tommy wanted to check to see if he was being filmed. He wished Oliver was there to witness whatever demented plan Isabel had to seduce him. If things weren’t so dire, he’d be enjoying himself. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m all set.”

“It must be hard to go from a billionaire to a low paid employee and errand boy of your best friend,” Isabel commented sympathetically. “I imagine it has been a huge adjustment for someone like you.”

“Technically, I’m still a billionaire, so it hasn’t been that much of an adjustment. My mom was the one who was obscenely rich. Dad was just a low-level billionaire. I never actually needed dear old dad’s money,” Tommy said dismissively. “I’m trying to keep a low profile in light of recent events.”

“Still, it must be lonely for you. I’m an orphan too.” Isabel moved and sat down next to him. She rested her hand high on his thigh, “I know you think you’re part of the Queen family, but you’re not. You’ll never be one of them.” Isabel’s smile took on an evil smirk, “Do you think you’ll marry Thea and become a Queen? That might be too much family.”

The blood in Tommy’s veins turned to ice. Somehow, someway, Isabel knew that Robert wasn’t Thea’s father and that Malcolm was. “Thea is like a sister to me. I changed her diapers. I could never marry her.”

“I always thought that was the plan. Oliver could keep you under his thumb that way – the poor little rich boy that no one ever loved. Oliver Queen’s pet. You shouldn’t let him take advantage of you,” her smile was more of a grimace, “he doesn’t love you either. Oliver is only capable of loving Oliver.”

Tommy removed her hand from his leg and stood up. “Your concern is appreciated, but unnecessary. The Queens are more my family than my father ever was. Oliver is my best friend. There’s nothing we wouldn’t do for each other.”

“You asked him to fuck your girlfriend?” Isabel asked smugly.

Tommy was relieved that the flirting portion of their encounter was now over. Isabel had finally revealed her true self. “As usual, the media got everything wrong. Laurel and I ended long before she and Oliver got back together. No one betrayed anyone,” he forced the bitter lie to roll off his tongue.

“Did you date her because she’d been with Oliver? Was it to get revenge because you were always jealous of him or was it because you felt like a Queen when you fucked someone he fucked?” Isabel wet her lips, “If it turns you on to be with someone who has been with a Queen, I’m the woman for you.”

Tommy laughed, “I know that isn’t true. Oliver told me about your little stunt in Russia.”

“I wasn’t talking about Oliver,” Isabel’s face was split by a vicious grin as her fingers trailed down his chest and landed on his belt buckle. “Robert was going to leave Moira for me.”

“That, I know is a lie,” Tommy said coldly as he pulled her hands from his body. “Robert wasn’t a saint, but he loved his family. He never would’ve left Moira, Ollie and Thea for an ambitious gold digger who thought she could climb the social ladder while flat on her back. If you were his mistress, then you were no different from any of the others, an easy fuck and even easier to forget.”

“Moira was about to be served with divorce papers. Robert and I were boarding his private jet for a trip to celebrate his freedom when he received a phone call from Oliver. Thea had broken her arm.” Isabel’s face was wild with fury, “He was a sucker for his children and they manipulated him into staying. I reminded him that Thea wasn’t even his, but like a fool, he loved her anyway.”

Tommy remembered the day Thea broke her arm. She’d been eight and had fallen from her horse. It had been his senior year in high school and Robert had taken up with a mistress not much older than his son. He remembered overhearing a heated fight between Moira and Robert about her. Robert’s affair ended up having severe consequences for Tommy. He’d been living with the Queens at the time and Robert’s indiscretion eventually led to Tommy being forced to return to his father’s home. He cleared his mind of the painful memory and focused on the woman in front of him. She wasn’t going to take one more thing from the people he loved. Tommy leaned over her and said in a low soft voice, “This woman scorned routine is old and more than a bit pathetic. Here’s the thing Isabel, this company belongs to the Queens and it will never be yours. You can try to claw your way in. You can try to fuck your way in. You will never be one of them.”

“Neither will you,” Isabel snapped. “The board will never listen to the son of a mass murderer.”

Tommy cocked his head sympathetically. She was flustered and he was done playing. “No, but the great-grandson of Mark Hopkins, you can bet your bony ass they will. My mother’s family is royalty in this state and don’t think for a single second when you’re sitting in that room across form me that they don’t know exactly who I am, where I come from and what money is sitting in my bank accounts. Every single one of them knows that they might need a favor from me one day. Unlike all of them, my billions will be liquid when I turn thirty. They see me, they see the golden goose. They also know trash when they see it and sweetheart, there’s a real stench about you.” He wafted his hand in front of his nose, “The scent of desperation doesn’t inspire confidence.”

Isabel sat with the confidence of a predator who had completely underestimated her prey, “Finally, a competitor with teeth. Oliver wants to be liked. You like to be hated. You are your father’s son.”

“You better hope that’s not true.” Tommy returned to Oliver’s desk and turned the monitor back on, “It’s too late, Isabel. You’ve already lost, you’re just too far out of your depth to realize it.” She turned to leave and he cleared his throat, “Isabel, if I were you, I’d cut my losses and slink away and find another billionaire to fuck over. You go through with today’s meeting, I will destroy you. When I’m finished, Stellmoor won’t hire you to scrub their toilets.”

“Robert told me things. I know all the Queen family secrets – I know some of yours too. I will break the hearts of Oliver and Thea Queen and then I’ll take their legacy and leave them with nothing,” Isabel sneered.

Rage pulsed through his body. He’d had enough with this woman and her vendetta. “Threaten my family again, and you’ll find out how much like my father I really am,” Tommy coldly promised.

Isabel stormed form the office, her angry heels echoing across the marble floors and walls.

A slight movement in the conference room caught his eye, “How long have you been there?”

“Long enough,” Felicity appeared out of the shadows.

“Did you find Thea?” he asked hopefully.

“Not yet,” she said, “I’m sorry.”

“Why are you here?” he slumped against his desk as his rage was replaced with despair.

She eyed him warily, “I wanted to make sure you have everything you need. It looks like you do.”

“Felicity,” he said with color flooding his cheeks. He never wanted Felicity to see him like that. He’d scared himself with the realization that he was the son of Malcolm Merlyn. He was prepared to do anything to protect the people he loved, and that terrified him.

Worry creased Felicity’s forehead, “Are you okay? You were pretty scary there at the end. I’ve never seen you like that.”

“I don’t like being backed into a corner. We’re not going to cower because some gold digger forgot her place and thinks she’s entitled to all of this because of promises Robert made to get her into bed or to keep her quiet.” Tommy moved to the windows, “I have sharp claws too. I survived Malcolm Merlyn.”

Felicity’s heels clicked against the floor. She placed her hand on the small of his back and leaned a shoulder against the window, “Are you going to tell Oliver about his dad?”

“No, I actually doubt she’s telling the truth,” he said trying to convince himself more than Felicity. He couldn’t believe that Robert would ever consider leaving his family. He wasn’t perfect, but he’d always been there. Malcolm was the type of father who left, not Robert. “I met some of Robert’s mistresses. None of them were smart. They were attracted to the expensive jewelry and fancy hotels.”

Felicity tilted her head knowingly, “Are you sure?”

Tommy wished he was, “No, but we’re not telling Ollie until we get Thea back safe. This is one more parental disaster coming back to bite us than we need at the moment.”

Tommy couldn’t afford to be distracted by thoughts of Robert or Thea. He had a company to save and he wouldn’t be able to do it if he let Isabel get under his skin. He picked up the Applied Science folder and showed it to Felicity, “Anything in here that can save us?”

She shook her head, “The holo tablet is the closest, but I don’t think it will replace the revenue from the canceled state fiber optic project.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” He dropped the folder with a satisfying thud. Tommy walked back to the window and his gaze fell across the city. He was running out of time and ideas. His eyes landed on the Carmichael building and the crane atop it. He wondered how leveraged old man Carmichael was. His building had been damaged in the Undertaking and his insurer had refused to pay out. Carmichael was suing his carrier, but they were in court. Any money that he was spending to fix his building was coming out of Carmichael’s own pocket and if the insurance company didn’t pay out he would need to declare bankruptcy. Tommy had heard a rumor that the banks were unwilling to bankroll Carmichael’s repairs. Tommy spun to face Felicity, “Do you have a file on everything the current board members are working on outside of QC? Including the stuff that wouldn’t be public knowledge, but you’d be able to dig up?”

“Yeah, why?” she eyed him suspiciously.

Tommy started to bounce on his toes with excitement as a plan started to formulate. Isabel wasn’t going to win as long as there was breath in his body and money in his trust fund. He clapped his hands together once, “I need everything we have on the members we think are in Isabel’s pocket.”

“What are you up to?”

“I’m going to make them an offer they can’t refuse,” he replied with a devilish grin.

Felicity’s eyes narrowed with concern, “What are you going to do?”

“I have $50 billion in my trust fund,” Tommy said moving back to Oliver’s desk. “A few of these bastards have to be overleveraged.”

“Are you serious?” Felicity asked with shock written all over her face. “I know you’re a billionaire, but that’s more than double Oliver and Thea’s net worth.”

“Railroad money married oil money married shipping money that married steel money. It’s been collecting interest for thirty years.” Tommy shrugged, “It’s more money than I need, but I’m betting some of these folks need it.”

“You can’t bribe them,” Felicity cautioned.

“Bribe is such an ugly word. I prefer business offer. I find out who is working on what and who has a longer tail for their project. I inherit this money in less than a year. I can still use it today as collateral for a business investment.”

“You’re going to lend them money at a lower rate than the bank,” Felicity began to understand his plan.

“I will casually let them know I’m looking to invest my trust fund,” he rubbed his hands together as his confidence in his plan grew. “No one who wants access to my $50 billion is going to want to vote against my proposal or Oliver Queen. My pockets are deeper than Isabel’s.”

“These might be bad investments, you could lose everything.” Felicity cautioned.

“Money has never made me happy,” Tommy said truthfully. “Oliver and Thea and Moira make me happy. As long as I have them, my net worth is irrelevant.”

“I’ll go grab those files. You should shower and shave while I pull everything,” Felicity instructed with what looked like hope in her eyes.

Tommy hugged Felicity as he walked by her, “This is going to work. We just need to find Thea and then everything will be fine. Queen Consolidated isn’t going to fall today.”

 

Tommy ran through the reporters at the police station without a second glance. Almost as soon as the board meeting ended, he’d received a phone call from Felicity. Thea had walked into the police station on her own. Slade Wilson had released her, unharmed.

He was desperate to see her with his own eyes and have confirmation that she was truly okay. He threw open the interrogation room door to find Thea backed up against the wall, surrounded by Moira and Oliver. Her arms were wrapped around her chest and she was crying.

“Thea,” Tommy said with relief.

She looked up and fresh tears welled in her eyes, “Tommy.” Thea crossed the interrogation room and collapsed against him.

Tommy’s arms banded around her as he looked to Oliver for a hint as to what was wrong. He rubbed circles against her back, “Sshh, you’re safe now. I’m here now.”

Thea’s arms circled his waist. “They kept me from you,” she cried.

“Don’t be silly,” Tommy kissed the top of her head. “They called me as soon as they knew you were all right.”

Thea pulled back so she could look at Tommy. She shook her head, “No, all this time, you could’ve been mine and she didn’t tell me.”

Tommy’s spine stiffened and he looked to Oliver, “What happened?”

“Slade told Thea the truth about Malcolm,” Oliver said tightly.

Fear gripped Tommy’s heart. He took his sister by her shoulders, “Thea, none of that matters. Malcolm isn’t your father – not in any way that counts.”

Thea blinked her watery eyes at him, “How can you say that it doesn’t matter? You’re my big brother.”

Tommy cupped her cheeks and wiped her falling tears with his thumbs, “I am and I love that you’re my little sister, but Robert not Malcolm is your dad.”

Thea covered her face, “Oh, god. I tried to kiss you.”

“What?” Oliver squared his shoulders.

“Hey, Speedy,” Tommy said gently, “you had too much to drink and you were upset. Nothing happened for you to be embarrassed about.”

Thea pulled violently out of Tommy’s arms and covered her mouth with her hand, “I had a crush on my brother. I’m going to be sick.” She rushed over to the garbage basket and knelt beside it.

Tommy joined her on the floor and rubbed her back as she dry heaved, “I promise. Everything is going to be okay. It will look different in the morning after you’ve had a hot shower, something to eat and a good night’s sleep.”

“They’re liars,” Thea accused.

“Your mom and Ollie, they love you. They were trying to protect you from Malcolm,” Tommy tried to reason. “We all were.”

“They kept me from you,” Thea cried.

He smoothed the hair from her face, “Nothing could keep me from you. You’ve always been my little sister - DNA or no DNA.”

Thea narrowed her eyes, “How long have you known?”

“Two months,” Tommy answered truthfully.

A look of betrayal clouded her eyes. “You were never going to tell me that I was your sister?” she asked with disbelief.

“Not if it meant telling you that Malcolm was your father,” Tommy wiped Thea’s mouth with a tissue.

“You don’t want to be my brother?” Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Of course, I want to be your brother. From the moment I first held you, I wished I was your brother, but learning you are my sister hasn’t changed how much I love you or how much I’ve always loved you,” he hoped she understood what he meant. “Do you love me more now that you know?”

“No,” she sniffled. Thea rested her head against his chest, “It’s just that - all these years you could’ve been mine, not just Ollie’s.”

Tommy held her close and kissed the top of her head, “I’ve always been yours.”

“Take me home,” she whispered.

Tommy looked at Detective Lance, “Is she free to go?”

“We’ve got her statement,” the officer replied. “She can go home.”

“Let’s go home, kiddo,” Tommy stood up and extended his hand. “I’m sure your mom and Ollie want to get you home.”

Thea glared at her mom and Oliver, “I don’t want to go anywhere with them.”

“Okay, I’ll drive you back to the house,” he offered.

“No, I don’t want to be near them. Take me back to your place,” Thea pleaded. “Just for tonight.”

“Thea,” Oliver pleaded quietly, “Slade is still out there. You’ll be safer at the mansion.”

“I’m not safe around you,” she sneered, “none of us are. You and mom deserve one another.”

“Sweetheart,” Moira pleaded, “come home and we can discuss this.”

“There’s nothing to discuss. You’re a liar. You cheated on dad. Last year, I asked you if you and Malcolm had an affair and you told me no. You kept the truth from me. I’ll never forgive you.”

“Take her home, Tommy,” Oliver instructed.

“I know you’re angry Speedy,” Oliver said with tears in his eyes, “but it doesn’t change how much I love you.”

Tommy took hold of Thea’s hand and looked to Lance, “Any way I can get her out of her without walking by the press?”

Thea and Tommy were following Lance out the door when Oliver called out, “Tommy.”

“Yeah, buddy,” Tommy smiled kindly.

“Take care of her,” Oliver’s eyes were wide with worry.

“Always,” Tommy promised.

 

A soft knock on his front door roused Tommy from his light doze on the sofa. He opened the door to find Oliver and Felicity standing hand in hand. He stepped aside to let them in. Dark purple shadows circled Oliver’s eyes. “Can I get you anything?” he offered as he closed the door.

“How is she?” Oliver glanced towards Tommy’s closed bedroom door.

“She’s asleep. I gave her a benzo,” Tommy guided Oliver into the living room. “She was pretty distraught.”

“Did Slade hurt her,” Oliver’s eyes welled with tears.

Tommy wrapped his arms around Oliver’s waist, “No, Ollie. Not physically.”

“This is all my fault,” Oliver pulled out of Tommy’s arms. “None of you are safe.”

“How did Slade know the truth about Thea?” Felicity asked Oliver. “I know how I figured it out, but I wasn’t looking for it. You didn’t know, so you didn’t tell him. Your mom sure as hell didn’t tell him. Walter didn’t tell him. So how did Slade find out?”

“Isabel.” Tommy said under his breath. He looked at Felicity, “She wasn’t lying.”

Felicity sat heavily on the sofa, “You think Slade and Isabel are working together?”

Oliver looked between Tommy and Felicity with confusion, “What are you talking about? What wasn’t Isabel lying about?”

“Your dad,” Tommy grabbed Oliver’s hand, “he knew the truth about Thea.”

“How do you know?”

The last thing Tommy wanted to do was to tell Oliver that Isabel Rochev had been his dad’s mistress and had clearly confided Moira’s infidelity and Thea’s paternity to her. “Isabel came to see me before the board meeting, she said something that made me think she knew Thea is my sister. Then she flat out told me that she was your dad’s mistress and that he told her that Thea wasn’t his.”

Oliver shook his head, “No. No.” He stalked across the living room to look out the window, “My dad screwed around, but he’d never air our dirty laundry to someone he was just fucking.”

“She said he was going to leave your mom for her,” Tommy said reluctantly.

“I don’t believe it,” Oliver said angrily.

“Isabel said he’d drawn up divorce papers and was having your mom served. They were at the airport about to leave town to celebrate when he got a phone call from you that Thea had broken her arm falling from her horse. He changed his mind about leaving.”

Oliver sat heavily and dropped his head into his hands, “How would she know about Thea’s arm unless my dad told her?”

“Oliver,” Felicity sat next to him and placed her hand on his back, “you need to ask your mom if Isabel is telling the truth.”

Oliver lifted his head and looked at her with shock, “I can’t ask her that. What if she doesn’t know that dad was going to leave her? I won’t be the one to tell. I won’t do that to her.”

“We need to know if Isabel is working with Slade. If she’s feeding him secrets, we need to know. It’s the only way to protect Thea and your mom,” Felicity said firmly as she rubbed soothing circles on Oliver’s back.

“I’ll ask her,” Tommy offered. “Maybe it will be easier for her to be truthful with someone who isn’t her son.”

“I could confront Isabel about Slade and see how she responds,” Oliver brainstormed aloud.

“Isabel isn’t in the best of moods. She might be angry enough to vent her frustrations,” Tommy sat down on his ottoman and placed his hands on Oliver’s knees.

Oliver looked up, “I didn’t even ask. How’d the board meeting go?”

Tommy smiled, “The vote went our way.”

“How? Oliver asked with disbelief.

Tommy wasn’t offended by Oliver’s reaction. His friend wasn’t questioning his abilities, but how a board, so clearly in Isabel’s pocket, could switch their votes. He squeezed Oliver’s knee, “I can be very persuasive when I want to be.” He stood up and lifted his suit jacket from the sofa and removed a folded piece of paper. Tommy held it out to Oliver.

“What’s this?” Oliver asked rising to his feet.

“Your company back.” Tommy handed the paper to Oliver, “I signed the paperwork once the vote was over.”

Oliver pulled Tommy into a hug as he stood up, “Thank you.” He nuzzled Tommy’s neck, “I don’t deserve you.”

“What are you doing here?” Thea scoffed and her brothers jumped apart.

“I wanted to check in on you – make sure you’re okay,” Oliver replied hesitantly.

“If you cared about me. If you loved me, Thea’s eyes welled with tears, “you would’ve told me the truth.”

“We wanted to protect you from Malcolm. We didn’t want to take dad away from you,” Oliver tried to explain.

Thea pointed at Tommy, “But you kept me away from my brother.

Tommy placed his hands on Thea’s shoulder, “Trust me, kiddo. I’m not worth having as a brother, if it means having Malcolm for a dad.”

“How can you say that to me?” Thea asked angrily. “When we thought Ollie was dead, if mom had only told me, we could’ve had each other.”

“We did have each other,” Tommy pulled her into a hug. “It wouldn’t have made a difference.”

Thea pushed him away, “It would’ve made a difference to me. I wouldn’t have been so lonely – you wouldn’t have been so lonely.”

“Thea,” he sighed. He had no way of explaining how much it pained him to think of what would’ve happened to her if Malcolm had known the truth. When they’d lost Ollie, Thea was the same age Tommy was the first time his dad struck him. The thought of Malcolm laying a hand on Thea in anger made him sick. “If Malcolm knew you were his, he would’ve used the Gambit as a way to take custody of you. Your mom knew all too well what happened to a child of Malcolm Merlyn. She didn’t want you to live through what I had to live through.”

“I can’t believe you’re taking their side.” Thea shook with rage, “I should’ve known this wouldn’t have changed anything. You’ll always choose Ollie over me. You’ve always loved him more than me.”

“That’s not true,” he stepped back into her space. “I am always going to be on your side. Believe me when I tell you that my decision to not tell you the truth about our dad is me being on your side. I love you. Keeping the truth from you – it was an act of love.”

“Screw you, Tommy Merlyn,” Thea snapped. “You’re just like them – no, you’re just like our dad - a manipulative liar who only cares about himself. No wonder he couldn’t stand to be around you.”

“Thea,” Oliver shouted.

Tommy backed away from his sister. Thea’s words were like a dagger to his chest.

Thea snapped her fingers at Felicity, “Ollie’s assistant. Is your car here?”

Felicity appeared to be taken off guard by Thea’s question. “No, Oliver drove.”

“Give her your keys,” Thea hissed at Oliver.

Oliver reached into his pocket and removed his keys. He held them out to Felicity.

“I need you to drive me somewhere,” Thea’s attention returned to Felicity. “I’m going to go grab my things.”

Thea disappeared down the hall.

Felicity quickly moved to Tommy’s side, “Are you all right?”

Tommy smiled sadly, “I’m fine. She gets mean when she’s angry. It’s fine.”

Thea’s shoes clicked loudly against the hardwood. “Let’s go,” she instructed Felicity.

“As you wish,” Felicity replied sarcastically.

Thea threw open the front door, “Don’t call me. Don’t come looking for me. I never want to see either of you again. You’re not my brothers. You’re nothing to me.” She disappeared out the door.

Felicity turned to face her boyfriends, “She doesn’t mean it. I’ll be right back.”

Tommy waited for the front door to close before turning to face Oliver, “What do we do now?”

Oliver’s jaw was clenched tightly and he had tears rolling down his face, “We need to confront my mother and Isabel. I’m done letting Slade Wilson have any power over me and the people I love.” Oliver embraced Tommy, “Then, we’re going to do whatever it takes to get our sister to forgive us.”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. Kudos and comments are always welcomed and appreciated. Hearing from you is my favorite part of the day.
> 
> Prompt requests are encouraged.
> 
> You can also come say hi to me on tumblr. http://realityisoverrated-fic.tumblr.com


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